Flush toggle switch attachment



Feb. l5, 1949. R. E. sEAMAN v FLUS-H TOGGLE SWITCH ATTACHMENT Filed July 9, 1946 fafktztsmw ?atented Feb. .15, 1949 f FLUSH roGGLE swr'rcn ATTAcHMEN'r Robert E. seaman, Lansing, Mien.l A Appnveauon July 9, 1946, serial No. 682,193v 4 claims. wel. 20o-172) This invention relates to an attachment for wall type toggle switches particularly'but not' ex.. clusively adapted to facilitate operation oi' such switches by children unable to reach the switch in its normal location, and aims generally to improve such devices.

Particular objects of the invention, severally i 4 and interdependently, reside in the .provision of a simple, inexpensive structurehaving `a neat, high quality appearance; highly eiiioient and efq fective in its operation: presents no surfaces apt to cause injury Ato one groping 'for the switch in darkness.

Further objects and advantages of the inven-` tion will be apparent fromv the following detailed description of the'pr'eferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. lis a front v iew of the device attacheg to a t wall switch, shown in broken outline.

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken on the lines 2 2 and 3-3 ofV Fig. 1, respectively, in the direction indicated by the arrows.

In the form oi' the invention shown inthe drawings, the attachment comprises a supporting .member i having mounting means Il positioned to cooperate with the securing means i2 employed to hold the normal wall plate Vi3 in assembled relation to a wall type toggle switch.

In the adaptation shown, the wall type switch is of conventional ush mounted construction and comprises a toggle switch element i4.. the toggle operator I5 of which swings in a vertical plane. As is usual in such devices, the switch i4 is mounted on a retaining strip i8 secured to an outlet box l1. In such oval-hded screw means I2 threaded into the retaining strip i6 in a standard predetermined tance to provide tolerance for failure of the in? staller to mount the outlet box I1 flush with the wall surface, or his failure to mount the retaining strip in proper relation to the wall surface. The present invention preferably utilizes the length of provided, to secure the attachment in place, making minor adjustments of the usual strip retain` ing screws I8, if this is necessary.

As is best shown in Fig. 1, the supporting mem. ber I0 is provided with a pivot member 20 and is formed to lie fiat against the switch plate I3 with its pivot member 20 disposed laterally of and in predetermined spaced relation to the toggle installations it is customary toy secure the wall plate i3 by counter-sunk so-cailed the screw means i2, thus normallyl l0v easily applied, and which .type toggle switch arm ylB-of theswitch I4.' yInetl'ie preferred eml bodiment, the supporting member i0 is of'arcuate shape, has counter-sunk mounting screw receiving apertures Il at its ends, and vhasits pivot 20 dis-'- vposedV midway of its length, thus adaptingit for attachment to a standard vertically swinging wall of the kind having its ycover plate I3-retained` by a pair ofy screws i2 aligned at standard spacing in the plane of operationof the toggle member I5.

The pivot.

23 spaced a predetermined distance from its head 24, the shank 22 being adapted for securement inthe supportingmember in in any` desired manv ner. In the form of'Fig. 3, this securement is shown as ,effected by riveting-over ofthe end of the shank 22m a counter-sunk recess in the reark of. the suppbrting member Ill, as illustrated'at 22a. v

Priorl to the securementof the pivot 20 in the support i0, this pivot member is passed through the fulcrum pointof the operating lever 25 which is ,drilled or otherwise journalled to fit the bearing surface 2| and swing freely thereon after securement ofthe pivot in the supporting mem-V ber I0.

The operating lever 25 is a lever of the rsty in- Fig. 1, its bifurcated end 26 has inturned .,prongs, preferably rounded, which contact the opposite sides oi the toggle member I5 to avoid binding of the bifurcat d legs against the toggle and scratching or chipping thereof, and to adapt the vdevice to fit toggley members of different thicknesses. f l v To the two ends yof the lever 25 are secured pulls 21 and 28 terminating in pull rings or the like 29 and 30. In the preferred embodiment, the pulls are shown` as single cords knotted in place,'but any other iormy may be employed, for example the Vdouble cord type may bev secured to the rings 29 -and 3l! by passing theirloops therethrough and thereover, withtheir upper ends threaded through apertures 3|V and 32 inthe opposite ends of the lever 25 vand knotted therebehind.

Thevarious parts ofthe attachment formed of any suitable material.

The pulls 21 and 28 are preferably formed of lightweight waxedfor varnished cord, as fish line or the like, adapted ,to support a predetermined v 20 preferably k,comprises a bearingl surface 2| and a shank 22 separated by a shoulder As best shown may be s l precise form A appended claims.

ing, and thus maintains for a long period a clean,-

attractive appearance. If desired a iiexible plas tic cord may be employed, suitably knobbed at its joint end, and adapted for assembly by threading and looping of its bight as above mentioned.

'Ihe supports I0 and lever 25 advantageously may be formed of polished aluminum having a thickness of about ifa' of an inch or so, or these parts may be formed of plastic, for example. having sulcient rigidity parts highly resistant to The rings 29 and I9 may bending and breakage. be of molded plastic or other material and of .any suitable form, and may comprise luminous material, if desired. The pivot may have a head of any desired shape, prefer-V ably one of rounded or counter-sunk type providing no sharp points or ,edges apt to injure the hand of one groping for the wall switch in the dark.l To this same end, the members l0. and have rounded edges and all edges and e'nds of the members are nicely nnished as by smoothing, bufng and polishing, for example, with the simple and harmonious form of the structure, adding to its sightliness and high-quality appearance.

Depending on the materials of construction, the pivot 20 may be secured byl riveting as shown, or

and strength to render the device comprising a support provided with aperture means positioned toalign with and be held in place by the switch plate securing means of the switch, a pivot carried by said support and positioned to .lie laterally of the toggle of the switch, a lever of the ilrst class mounted on said pivot and swinging in a plane parallel to the plane of the switch plate, said lever end adapted to embrace the toggle of the switch, and pull cords secured to the opposite ends of said lever whereby said lever may be swung in either direction about said pivot.

such finish,

otherwise. For example, it may have a threaded or self-tapping shank and be provided with a kerf or the like to receive a driving instrument -if desired.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the invention is riot limited to the shown, land that various modica tions are contemplated within the scope of the I claim:

1. A device for attachment to a toggle wall switch of the type having a switch plate secured by two screws aligned with the piane of operation of its toggle element; said device comprising an arcuate support formed to lie flat against the switch plate and having at its ends screw holes positioned to alignwith the switch plate securing screws, a pivot carried by the central portion of said arcuate support, a lever of the rst class carried by said pivot and swinging in a plane parallel to the plane of the switch plate, said lever having a bifurcated end terminating in inturned prongs in general alignment with said screw holes and positioned to embrace the toggle element of the wall switch when the attachment is mounted thereon, and pulls attached to the ends of said lever.

2. A device for attachment to a. wall type toggle switch of the type provided with a toggle protruding through'a ilat removable switch plate: said 3. Adevice for attachment to a wall type toggle switch of the type provided with a toggle protruding through a dat removable switch plate; said device comprising a support provided with aperture means positioned to align with and be held in place by the switch plate securing means of the switch, a pivot carried by said support and positioned to lie laterally of the toggle of the switch, a lever of the ilrst class mounted on said pivot and swinging in a plane parallel 'to the plane of the switch Plate. said lever having a blfurcated end adapted to embrace the toggle of the switch, and pull cords secured to the opposite ends of said lever whereby said lever may be swung in either direction about said pivot, said pull cords attached respectively to the bifurcated end and .to the 'opposite end of said lever and strong enough to operate 'the switch when pulled generally parallel with the wall but weak enough to break before damage to the other parts of the device if pulled excessively or at an excessive angle to the wall.

4. An attachment of the class described comprising an arcuate support having counter-sunk ,mounting apertures at its ends to provide for its ilat securement to the plate -of a toggle wall switch by the normal securing screws of said plate, said arcuate support having a pivot midway between said mounting apertures and positioned to lie laterally of the toggle of said switch, a iirst class lever carried by said pivot and swingable in a plane parallel to the plane of the switch plate, said lever having a bifurcated end aiigned with said mounting apertures to embrace a toggle switch operator moving in the plane of said apertures, and pull cords connected to the opposite ends of said first class lever.

ROBERT E. BEAM.

REFERENCES crran v The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date ,g

1,488,279 l Owens Mar. 25, '1924 1,549,639 Walton et al. Aug. 11, 1925 1,924,351 Doddl'ldgi! Allg.` 29, 1933 2,350,613' Hunter et al. June 6, 1944 2,389,220 Trederau Nov. 20, 1945.

FOREIGN PATENTS 4 Number Country Date 317,613 Great Britain Aug. 22, 1929 having a bifurcated 

